Portable shampoo assembly



June 17, 1969 -r. E. WATSON PORTABLE SHAMPOO ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 14,1967 United States Patent Office 3,449,771 Patented June 17, 19693,449,771 PORTABLE SHAMPOO ASSEMBLY Talmage E. Watson, 816 WilafordAve., Ruston, La. 71270 Continuation-impart of abandoned applicationSer. No. 440,365, Mar. 17, 1965. This application Aug. 14, 1967, Ser.No. 660,291

Int. Cl. A61h 35/00; A47k 3/062 U.S. Cl. 4-159 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE Two-piece, detachable, portable shampoo assembly placed onbed for shampooing patient reclining atop of it. Forward, wedge-shapedsegment supports shoulders and internally stores rinse water. Separableunit is vertically adjustable neck cradle with peripheral splash guardabout top edge of upright walls which telescope base walls surroundingopening to run-off reservoir within wedge-segment. Horizontal crossscreen in vertically adjustable unit is support for containers or forlong hair, beneath uppermost water level of base.

This is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 440,365, filedMar. 17, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a portable shampoo assembly particularlyadapted for use by a bed-ridden patient, or for use by a recliningperson for whom it is more convenient to remain on a couch rather thanto have to sit or stand over a wash bowl for shampoo and rinsing of thehair. Likewise the present assembly is especially adapted for use wherethere is no running water and drainage connection; a pitcher or two ofwater can be brought to the bedside, and the rinse water run-off fromthe hair collected in the present assembly, and later emptied.

Various constructions have been suggested for this purpose in the past,but have not found wide acceptance because they were unduly complicatedor unsatisfactory for other reasons. In some instances they havedisposed the persons hair in a relatively shallow container whichquickly filled with water, thus preventing further rinsing of the hairwith fresh water; in other cases, the patients head was so elevated thatwater ran down his neck. Still other constructions support the back ofthe persons head above the run-off reservoir, thus preventing this areaof the scalp from being shampooed or massaged by the operator exceptupon lifting the head.

The present construction is uniquely effective because it provides (1)an inclined bed-rest back-support segment to angularly support thepersons shoulders and upper torso at a comfortable slant, the hollowinterior of which wedge-shaped segment also serving as a reservoir toreceive run-off water; (2) a vertically adjustable head support whichfunctions by engaging the back of the users neck below the hair line, soas to suspend the back-tilted head over the run-off receptacle inposition that an operator can manually treat the patients entire scalp,including the back of his head, while from time to time directing rinsewater through his hair, which run-off is accumulated in the reservoir ofthe base without running doWn the patients neck; (3) vertical adjustmentof the neck cradle to accommodate the individual user, alsocorrespondingly positions a peripheral splash apron which surrounds therear-segment aperture of the base so as to telescopically raise or lowerthe upright walls of the splash apron in alignment with the entry mouthof the run-off reservoir. In addition, the vertically adjustable unitcarries an internal cross grill or screen which serves to support thelong hair of a user, or alternately provides a shelf for containers ofshampoo material or the like, at a level somewhat below the top levelfor rinse water accumulation but which still makes such containersavailable to the operator; at the same time, it enables the users longhair to 'be spread over the screen so as to have rinse water pouredihrough it (until the accumulated water reaches such evel).

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds, having particular reference to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example, a presentlypreferred embodiment of my invention wherein FIGURE 1 is a sideelevational view of my shampoo assembly, showing a reclining person inposition to use same.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the assembly by itself.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken along the line33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, horizontal sectional view of a constructiondetail, showing the vertical positioning mechanism as viewed along theline 55 of FIGURE 4.

As here illustrated, there is provided an elongated or generallyrectangular-bottom base B formed of a forward segment 10 of generalwedge-shape, with an inclined, more-or-less fiat top 12, supportinglydisposable beneath the shoulders and upper back or torso of a recliningperson who may be lying on a massage table or the like (FIGURE 1).Rearward of the wedge-segment 10, is an adjacent segment 14 of the baseB, having an open top or mouth 16 with bottom 19 and side walls 17, 18continuous with the forward segment 10. The forward segment 10 ishollow, forming a reservoir 11 which receives run-off water from therear segment, being separated by a cross strut or panel 20 which is openat the bottom area 21. Upright cross walls 22 and 23 complete theenclosure of the base B, the top edge 24 of the rear wall 23 marking themaximum liquid level for accumulation of rinse water in the basereservoir.

A separable head-support and splash-guard member A is slidablyreceivable vertically, within the open-top of the rear segment 14,formed with four upright walls 25, 26, 27, 28 disposed as a rectangularcolumn or chute of slightly less external dimensions than the internaldimensions of the segment walls 17, 18, 20, 23 which thus form itsslide-channel or guideway. The member A is thus telescopically disposedor nested within the rear segment 14 of the base B, having an open topand bottom 29 so that liquid can pass downward through it into thereceptacle areas 1511 of the base. The apertured flooring 29, hereillustrated as a cross-brace, can be omitted entirely, if desired. Across grill or screen 30, located intermediate the span of the uprightwalls, allows rinse water to pass through it freely and serves as asurface over which long hair from the users supported head can be spreadout; it also serves as a tray or shelf for standing containers ofshampoo material, brushes, combs, etc. which thus remain at a leveleasily reached by the operator.

The columnar walls of the telescopic portion of the member A aredependent to an outwardly flared, peripheral section C which forms acombination splash guard and neck support. Projecting outward from thetop edge of each wall 25, 26, 27, 28 is a slanted ledge 32, followed byan upward directed rim or collar 36. The forward, cross span of the wall34 is centrally recessed or scolloped to form a generally arcuate neckrest 35 which extends rearward to leave forward projections 36, 37 ofthe cross wall 34. The neck rest 35 is thus disposed to cradle the backof the users neck, extending forwardly around each side in a generallyelliptical path relative to a theoretical cylindrical configuration ofthe neck. In use, clearance between such neck socket and either side ofa persons neck can readily be filled temporarily by a small towel orwashcloth so as to eliminate any occasional trickle of water down thepersons neck. However, this will seldom occur, since the persons head isalready tilted back from the apex line 13 of the wedge-segment 10. Itwill be apparent also, that in such position all of the persons hair isavailable to the operator to work on (i.e. the entire scalp can bemassaged) without moving the persons head.

Means are provided for locating the telescopic unit A at selectedelevations relative to the base B. This is both to adjust the elevationof the patients head relative to a bed or couch on which he is resting,as well as to accommodate it relative to the thickness of his ownshoulders or torso, which dimension varies considerably from oneindividual to another. On each of the outer faces of the three uprightwalls 17, 18, 23 of the base, is a verticallydirected, U-shaped slidechannel 38, fixedly attached as by rivets 39. correspondingly locatedalong the underface of the overhanging ledge 32 are a trio of U-shapedrails which are lengthwise movable within the channels 38, and aredependenly secured to the ledge by brackets 41. Both the rail 40 and itsembracing channel 38 are formed with a vertical series of transverselyalignable slots or apertures, through which a spine or locking pin 42 isinserted when the rail is at the desired elevation within the channel.Other known clamping or anchoring mechanisms can of course be used inplace of this, depending upon whether a step-wise or a continuousadjustment is desired.

It will be seen however that both the splash-guard, neck-cradle sectionC and the back rest 12 slant convergingly-upward from opposite sidestoward a crest or apical line 13 which is located approximately at thebackward bend of the patients neck. Thus in some instances, even therear segment 14 may be located on a slanted surface such as the head ofa turned-up hospital bed, or in some cases it may be deliberatelyelevated from a level surface by insertion of objects along the rearmargin of bottom wall 19, in order to retain more run-01f water in theforward compartment 11, without in either event destroying the necessaryback-tilt of the patients head from the crest line 13 which mightotherwise direct rinse water down his neck. Such beneficial result isthe product of both the inverted-V-shape apical slant of the section C,as well as the vertical adjustability of the nested or telescopicsection A.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that various changes inconstruction and operation may be made within the scope of the presentinventive concept which should not be limited to the precise detailsillustrated and described by way of example, but it is my intention toclaim the invention broadly aside from the necessary limitations of theprior art.

I claim:

1. A portable shampoo assembly comprising in combination:

a generally horizontally disposable base adapted to lie upon a bed orthe like and formed of an open-top segment formed with lateral enclosurewalls adapted to receive and transiently retain within the enclosure '4shampoo rinse water from a persons hair, and an adjacent wedge-shapedsegment having a sloping top adapted to support the shoulders of aperson reclining thereupon with his head disposed over the open-top inposition for his hair to be shampooed; and

a vertically adjustable support member having a marginal portiongenerally arcuately shaped to cradle the neck of such reclining personso as to dispose his head over said open-top, said support member beingformed with open bottom and lateral enclosure walls disposed injuxtaposition with the lateral enclosure walls of said open-top segmentand hence telescopically adjustable relative thereto, and means adaptedto secure said support member at selected functional positions ofvertical adjustment relative to the base.

2. The shampoo assembly of the preceding claim 1 wherein the interior ofsaid wedge-shaped segment is hollow and in fluid communication withtheopen-top segment so as to form a reservoir for said rinse waterentering the base through said open-top.

3. The shampoo assemblyof the preceding claim 1 wherein said supportmember is formed with a peripheral splash-guard comprising outwardlyflared walls located atop said lateral enclosure walls and extendingforwardly on either side of said arcuately shaped, marginal cradleportion.

4. The shampoo assembly of the preceding claim 3 wherein the interior ofsaid wedge-shaped segment is hollow and in fluid communication with theopen-top seg ment so as to form a reservoir for said rinse waterentering the base through said open-top.

5. The shampoo assembly of the preceding claim 4 wherein said supportmember additionally has an open grill transversely disposed intermediatethe height of said lateral enclosure walls and adapted to supportobjects below the level of the splash guard.

6. The shampoo assembly of the preceding claim 3 wherein said slopingtop and said splash guard are each slanted convergingly upward like thearms of an inverted-V, with the apex thereof disposed approximately atsaid marginal cradle portion which supports the users neck.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,351,849 6/ 1944 Wells et al.4-15'9 2,425,513 8/ 1947' Czajcinski et al 4159 2,475,259 7/1949Singleton 4-159 2,514,584 7/1950 Muth 4159 2,818,585 1/1958 Campbell4-159 3,363,620 1/1968 Collins 4-159 FOREIGN PATENTS 70,119 5/1947Norway.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

HENRY K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 128-2

